Nearby Theaters

News About This Theater

The Gaumont was a rather bland replacement of the former Empire Palace of Varieties/Gaumont (which had been destroyed by fire in early-1954). It was opened on 27th February 1956 and was designed by the firm of T. P. Bennett & Son. What it lacked in ornamentation it made up for in comfort and spaciousness seating 706 in the stalls and 532 in the circle.

It was twinned in 1980 (having been renamed Odeon in 1962) and still shows first run movies on its two screens which seat 636 and 419.

However, long held plans for a multiplex could well have brought the cinema in Eldon Street to darkness. The Odeon closed on 17th September 2005 and it seemed that was the ‘last picture show’ in the building. Almost two years later it was taken over by an independent exhibitor and re-opened as the Parkway Cinema on 8th August 2007.

when the odeon shuts, there will be no cinema in barnsley. I have grown up going there and will deeply miss it, as old as it was. I hope there are plans for another cinema because its over Â£2 on the bus to get to the meadowhall one. It is stupid.

Actually the screens are bigger than they were! We have retained the original screen frames, but made the screens as large as possible within them. Screen 2, at 12.5 metres wide, is said to be around the same size as the Odeon Leicester Square. Major surgery would be needed to make the screens even larger – all the re-installation work was funded privately, but we will invest further if we can attract sufficient audience numbers to pay off our credit cards!

The Parkway reopened in August 2007 and these pictures were taken a week later. It is a comfortable theatre with generous legroom and a large (new) screen in the lower auditorium. It has been fully refurbished for the reopening, retaining the Odeon seating.

I spent a few days working a cleaning company that helped restore the cinema, upstairs in screen two there is still the orignal brass rails that were the pride of the place for years i spent a full day bringing them back to how they used to be.The place has never looked better,The staff are very helpfull and the snacks and treats are fab go see for you’re self.Congratulations to Rob,Jezz and everyone else who worked hard on the project well worthwhile
terry hutcheon